Comstock

Saint Patrick was a gentleman, who through strategy and stealth, drove all the snakes from Ireland, here’s a toasting to his health. But not too many toastings, lest you lose yourself and then, forget the good Saint Patrick and see all those snakes again! Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Carson City. There are some great parties going on around town, check out the list to find them all. Don’t forget to designate a sober driver or call a taxi if whiskey or green beer are part of the day’s plan.

THURSDAY:

There are few stories that fascinate the public like the story of the Donner Party, the group of emigrants who got caught in a snowstorm in 1846-1847 in the Sierra Nevada and some members of the party resorted to cannibalism to avoid starvation.

From boom to bust, life in Virginia City during its heyday inspired many dreams of finding fortunes in the ground but also the reality of living in a tough mining town.

Ready to ‘Give where you live’? Nevada’s Big Give online fundraising drive is today, so pick your favorite local non-profit and pledge $10 or more dollars to get them on their way. The WNC Foundation will be throwing a party at Alatte inside the Carson Nugget with drink specials and more if they’re the one you choose. Learn a little about our majestic mountain views at the Douglas County Historical Society’s Second Thursday lecture. Spice up your life with Bachata lessons at El Charro Avita, and dance the night away. Take a gander at the list for all of today’s options.
THURSDAY:

I’ve always loved Tuesdays and today is a good representation of what the day can offer. National Pancake Day at IHOP means a free short stack; but they are hoping you’ll donate to the Children’s Miracle Network. Jazz and Poetry take over Comma Coffee this evening; the Mile High Jazz Band can be found there every second Tuesday all year long. Get your fro-yo fix at Yogurt Beach and help raise funds for the annual Relay for Life fundraiser. A great panel of women will be at the Dayton Community Center this evening to share their experiences growing up on the Comstock.

TUESDAY:

Help us raise the curtain at Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City once again on April 2, from 3-5 pm, at a gala premiere party, an intimate and exclusive event, to present scenes from the new opera, The Big Bonanza.
The Territorial Enterprise newspaper writer Dan DeQuille was commissioned to tell the story of the epic 1873 discovery of the Comstock Lode by the “Bonanza King”’ John W. Mackey.

There is loads of history for free, or donations, if you are so inspired, at the Silver Terrace Cemeteries in Virginia City. However, Candace Wheeler, director of the Comstock Cemetery Foundation, has been a one-woman bastion against vandalism and defamation of the historic cemeteries of Virginia City, Gold Hill, and Silver City.

Ray Bonneville, a New Orleans-influenced guitarist/songwriter, will perform in Silver City on Sunday as part of a benefit for the Silver City School House.

We’ve all felt the occasional urge to ride off into the sunset, but it was those Pony Express boys that actually did it. Learn about their history from the Pony Express Association at Red’s Old 395. An informative talk at the Carson City Library sheds some light on why life is so crazy. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play with fire, then check out Controlled Burn. This regional fire spinning group will show you the ropes at A to Zen.

TUESDAY:

As suddenly as it appeared, the snow has melted from the roads, leaving no excuses for not hitting the town. Friday has arrived and with it some great live music. Live it up at Living the Good Life with Monique and Friends. Stereo Galaxy will be getting the party started downtown at Westside Pour House. Or check out Chicken Fried at Mystique. If you’re a performer yourself, then A to Zen’s open mic might be your style. Dancers will want to strut their stuff at the monthly World Dance Open Floor at Comma Coffee. Release your inner rock star with karaoke at Carson Lanes or Whiskey Tavern.

At Lake Tahoe, we know our natural resources are one of our most valuable assets, and that’s why we have worked for decades to conserve and restore them. The natural wonders of the Jewel of the Sierra and the opportunities they afford are why we live here, and why millions of visitors travel here to enjoy the Tahoe Basin each year.

Starting a brewery from scratch in a building dating back to the mid-1800s is not without its challenges, unless as the saying goes, your vision is bigger than any obstacle. Virginia City Brewery and Taphouse, celebrating its anniversary, is fueled by a vision to bring brewing back a town with deep roots in the craft: Virginia City, Nevada.

Known for its Wild West traditions and old miner Comstock legends, Virginia City has its authentic Nevada history and quirky, outlandish special events that keep people from around the world coming back for more.

This year is no different as the town’s 2016 special events calendar includes fan favorites such as the International Camel and Ostrich Races, the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry and several parades as well as a brand new event, a western rodeo in September.

Happy Tuesday, Carson City. Enjoy the nice weather with an easy walk along the Carson River. This evening, take your sweetheart to Comma Coffee for some warm drinks and cool jazz. Learn about smart cities at the Brewery Arts Center; the Sierra Nevada Forums have a great line-up of speakers. Take a spin around the dance floor at El Charro Avita or at Carson Lanes. Swing dance lessons and country dance lessons are available each Tuesday.

TUESDAY: Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

Playing with mud isn’t just for little kids. At Carson City Pottery, the fun of getting your hands dirty is for adults, too.

Robin McGregor, owner of Carson City Pottery with her husband, Rich, whimsically describes working with clay as feeling like a kid again.

“I love to feel the clay in my hands,” she said. “It gives me pleasure to throw.”

Just to be clear, “throwing” is the term used by pottery artists when shaping clay. It’s something Robin McGregor has been doing for 24 years since she first put clay in her hands.

Hopeful sweethearts and couples alike can define their relationship this Valentine’s Day at the Devil Made Me Do It Saloon Crawl, Saturday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Virginia City, Nev. The commemorative crawl cups come in a series of colors that indicate the holder’s relationship status: single, taken or open to suggestions.

We have some incredibly talented kids here in Carson City. The jazzier ones will be performing at the Community Center tonight with the Mile High Jazz Band in an extravaganza of music. Enjoy some of our valley’s views with the Parks and Rec Easy Walk along the freeway multi-use path. Dinner plans are easy; Mystique is holding a grand opening tonight downtown, so go see what deliciousness they have to offer.

TUESDAY:

• Kit Carson Toastmasters Weekly Meeting at Grandma Hattie’s (6:30am; for info call Frank 775-885-7579 or KitCarsonToastmasters@gmail.com)

It's almost time for the weekend, but don't let Thursday slip through your fingers. Music, improv, and a book reading are here to entertain you. Check out the list below for the things to do in Carson City and the surrounding area.

THURSDAY:
•*Nate Clark's exhibition ‘Leeway’ in the OXS Gallery at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)
•*’Divergence’ by artist Katie Lewis at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)

For more than seven years Virginia City has been having fun with “Cemetery Gin” a Nevada-made spirit available at local saloons, bars and stores throughout Northern Nevada which celebrates a tall tale from the Comstock’s rich mining days of the 1850s.

Spearheaded by the Virginia City Tourism Commission, the gin is a product of Frey Ranch Estate Distillery, located in Fallon, Nev., where all the ingredients were grown, distilled and bottled.

It’s finally Friday, my fellow Carsonistas. Whether you are young or not as young as you used to be; single, coupled up or looking for family-friendly; introverted or extroverted, there is likely something on this list for you. Carson City offers all sorts of stuff to get you out of your home and mingling with your neighbors. I don’t know what tickles your particular fancy, so I just make sure I’ve got everything listed that I can find. Everything is in order of its ‘start time’, so take a gander at the list and have a great day!

FRIDAY:

• Nevada Artists Association Art Exhibit featuring Bob Hickox and Photography by Chas. H. McDonnell, III at the Carson Visitor Center (8am-5pm)
• Nate Clark's exhibition ‘Leeway’ in the OXS Gallery at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)

Brave the chilly January air with an easy walk along the V and T Rail Trail at the north end of town. The weekly walk, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, heads to the new MAC center in case of wet weather. Learn more about this crazy weather at Sierra Place Senior Living with a presentation by weather historian Mark McLaughlin. Don't miss the Mile High Jazz Band at Comma Coffee tonight. History lovers will want to head up to Virginia City for a lecture at St. Mary's of the Mountain Catholic Church.

TUESDAY:

Barbara Mackey leaves the Fourth Ward School in Virginia City standing tall as its executive director having re-energized the community'sm commitment to remaining a living history of Virginia City’s heyday. From 2001 to 2015, Mackey raised more than $2 million from donors and through grants to implement programs to maintain the school’s historical significance.

My snow dance worked! The weather should start clearing up for the next few days, so the roads should be clear. There’s no need to leave our valley though, great things are happening. The annual Share Your Christmas food drive goes on for most of the day: you don’t even need to leave your car, just drive up to the Governor’s Mansion, and someone will get your donation to the right place. Unwind, decompress and relax at a number of our great bars and restaurants.

With the Epic Rides Off-Road Series mountain biking race set for this summer, the Carson City Visitors Bureau can pump up the fat tire frenzy along with its promotion thanks in part to a $4,000 grant, among 65 approved for funding from the state’s rural tourism program, Nevada Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison announced Wednesday.

Actress Kristin Hamlet will explain “How Brothels Work – From An Insider – Then and Now” at the Gold Hill Hotel’s Thursday Night Lecture Series on Dec. 17.

Hamlet, a local actress and Old West historian, has performed since she was a child in the late 1950s. In addition to her role in "Calico," a musical written by David John and the Comstock Cowboys, she has performed with the former Gold Hill Theater Troupe and in "Annie Get Your Gun" at Piper's Opera House. Dinner is from 4-8 p.m. at the Crown Point Restaurant at the Gold Hill Hotel with several menu options offered.

The Carson Library offers some great activities for the kids and Craft Tuesday today is one of them. While you’re there, head across the street to Browser’s Corner Book Store to check out the holiday offerings at their craft fair. ‘Break a leg’ to the talented students of Carson High Musical Theater: their Winter Ensemble Concert is at the Community Center tonight. Jazz and poetry return to Comma Coffee: the monthly performance of the Mile High Jazz Band begins at 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY:

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Dec. 7-13, 2015: The Nevada Department of Transportation will continue work on the construction of an auxiliary lane on southbound I-580 from the Eastlake Boulevard interchange to the N. Carson Street off-ramp.

Have you been naughty or nice this year? You’ll have no problem finding Jolly Old St. Nick this weekend. At Debug Computers where, in exchange for a donation to Holiday with a Hero, you can get a photo with the man in red. The Santa Train at the Nevada State Railroad Museum is a good place to grab a candy cane, some hot cocoa, and tell him what you’d like to find under the tree. Photographs with Santa are available at the Carson Mall Wednesday through Sunday. Genoa’s annual Breakfast with Santa has three seatings beginning at 8:30 a.m.

SATURDAY:

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Nov. 23-29: NDOT will begin construction work Sunday night on the auxiliary lane of southbound I-580 from the Eastlake Boulevard interchange to the N. Carson Street off-ramp. There will be nightly lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through Wednesday morning, Nov. 25.

Northern Nevada Development Authority on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lubelskie Region of Poland as part of an ongoing effort to increase economic ties between Poland and the Sierra region of Nevada.